Holy Tuesday

Bringing donations to Nablus

The weather was not what was forecast. Though it began cloudy, it turned very sunny and bright by midmorning. My trip to Nablus was thoroughly enjoyable. I had to bring sacks of clothes and many boxes of canned and dried food to the MC sisters for the poor. The donation was so much I had to hire a minivan to carry all the stuff there. I thought it was good the poor have some food and new clothes for Easter ... and they are very grateful.

The Samaritan
Museum

I was lucky several seminarians and their Master came along to help me. I wouldn't have been able to do it by myself. We also visited Jacob's well and ancient Shechem along the way. The MC sisters cooked lunch for us which was very nice of them. Then we visited Mt. Gerizim and the Samaritan community. They will be celebrating their Passover this Thursday which coincides with out Last Supper on Holy Thursday. We met a samaritan priest and visited the Samaritan museum where the history and culture of the Samaritans were explained to us.

On our way back we made a stop at the only surviving christian village in Israel/Palestine ... Taybe or ancient Ephraim. Jesus hid here for a week before going to Bethany and riding a donkey down on Palm Sunday. There was a funeral going on and we entered the church once the coffin was carried to the cemetery.

This morning fire broke at the Al Aqsa mosque ... hours after the Notre Dame cathedral was on fire. For sure it was arson but we're not sure who yet. The Muslim administrators think it was due to muslim children playing with fire. https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Fire-breaks-out-near-mosque-on-Temple-Mount-586985?fbclid=IwAR2TG8pcz3buqGGz7y2pAXht6BEmYXOcHT74-JoxNfCMTMYAxndxmYhy8Vo